In defence of the cause

Massive protests took place yesterday across all of Chile, to demand free and better education. While many sections of the media emphasised the vandalism caused by a small section of antisocial students, with respect to the organisers, the university student leaders and teaching staff, everything happened with order.

At 11am, the Santiago march started in Plaza Italia, where more than 80.000 students started the journey towards the finishing point of Plaza Los Héroes, a small site that was ready with a stage that would host the day’s speeches and explanations of the protesters’ petitions to government.

For the rest of the morning, the crowd marched along the Alameda, arriving without problems at the final meeting point in Plaza Los Héroes.

At the stage site, various speakers outlined the demands for change which the students, the majority of whom are from secondary schools, wanted the government to listen to, to finally begin to coordinate meetings for discussion and take the matter seriously.

Camile Vallejos, president of the Federation of Students of Chile (FECH) began proceedings, followed by Jaime Gajardo, president of the College of Teachers. Both were content with the great call to action and the organisation that was seen with respect to all universities and schools, that walked together peacefully.

Worthy of comment was the behaviour of the leaders of this battle, who turned this protest into a carnival full of colours, with dancing, music and singing, that with the weight of the numbers attending did not threaten disorder at any point during the march’s extensive route.

The government and media have since wrongly emphasized the disorder committed by a small few, the “lumpen” (underclass) as always, leaving aside the success of the organisation of the universities, who had the authorisation to march along Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins and who maintained order until Plaza los Héroes.

Without doubt, the students would be quite foolish not to accept the offer to sit at the table and talk with the Minister of Education in a peaceful way, to deliver the petitions for development, together with the projects that will help towards the dream of all students and young people – to obtain a better education, whether that is in private or state universities, but that does not exceed the excessive costs that today have professional men and women indebted, for having wanted to improve themselves and become an important part of this country.

http://www.ilovechile.cl/2011/06/17/in-defence-of-the-cause/23341